The Latest News from Our Field

The alcohol content of beer and wine varies widely, meaning people often end up consuming more alcohol than they realize, according to a new report.

A new study finds a link between crystal meth use and an increased risk of injecting drugs. The Canadian study included 395 young people living on the street in Vancouver.

A variant of the club drug ketamine could be reformulated for use as an antidepressant, a new study suggests. The three-week study found depressed people who took the drug reported improvement.

The smoking cessation drugs Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion) do not increase the risk of suicide or depression, compared with nicotine replacement therapy, a new study concludes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued safety warnings about using these drugs to help people quit smoking.

This October marks the centennial anniversary of America’s “public health enemy number one”: cigarettes. As smoking has evolved from a fashionable accessory to what we now understand as deadly addiction, at least 43 million Americans still smoke, despite its negative health, social and economic impact. So why do smokers still smoke asks Legacy President and CEO Cheryl Healton?

Law enforcement officers in a city outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida have been conducting “reverse sting” operations to lure potential cocaine buyers, and funneling the proceeds into the police department budget, ABC News reports.

A new study finds Ritalin can successfully treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in people with substance dependence. People with both conditions often do not respond well to ADHD medication, according to MedicalXpress.

Marine Corps Exchange stores around the world will impose new limits on alcohol sales in an effort to limit irresponsible drinking, Stars and Stripes reports.

A new study finds cigarettes are linked to the cause of death in more than 60 percent of smokers. Smoking shortens the life of an average smoker by 10 years, Australian researchers found.

The sports supplement “Craze,” popular in the United States and other countries, contains a meth-like chemical, USA Today reports.

The Drug Enforcement Administration says it has not seen evidence of the flesh-eating drug krokodil surfacing in the United States, despite reports in Arizona and Illinois of people using the drug.

The number of babies born dependent on drugs their mothers took during pregnancy is predicted to exceed 800 in Tennessee this year, more than even before, according to a new report.

A national group of anesthesiologists is launching a card to identify and treat people suspected of an opioid overdose. The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Opioid Overdose Resuscitation card lists symptoms and instructions for helping a person suspected of an overdose.

With his new documentary, “Out of Reach,” filmmaker Cyrus Stowe, a senior at a Dallas high school, set out to uncover the growing problem of friends sharing and abusing prescription medications in his hometown.

States are trying a variety of strategies to fight prescription drug abuse, from tightening regulations on pain management clinics to increasing access to prescription monitoring program databases, USA Today reports.

A growing number of people are smoking marijuana out of e-cigarettes, NBC New York reports.

Marijuana legalization advocates are seeking signatures of registered voters in California, Arizona, Oregon and Alaska, Bloomberg reports. The advocates are hoping to put legalization measures on the ballot in those states in 2014.

Deaths due to heroin increased in Maryland and Virginia between 2011 and 2012, according to NBC Washington. Health officials in those states also report an increase in the use of LSD and methadone, including among high school students.

Doctors at a suburban Chicago hospital report they are treating three people who used a caustic, homemade heroin-like drug called “krokodil” that can rot flesh and bone, CBS Chicago reports. Last month, Arizona health officials reported two cases of people who used the drug.

A new survey of teens finds those who start puberty early are more likely to try cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, compared with those who begin on time or late.

Four new synthetic drugs, including one called “Crazy Clown,” were outlawed in Florida this week under an emergency rule filed by state Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Several colleges in Vermont are engaging parents in their effort to reduce binge drinking, according to the Associated Press. Students tend to drink less when their parents are aware of what they are doing, says Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen.

An analysis of drug prices on the recently shuttered website Silk Road reveals cocaine and marijuana sell for less in the United States than in many other countries, CNN Money reports.

Members of the European Parliament on Tuesday voted against tight regulations for e-cigarettes, according to The New York Times. The vote comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prepares to issue regulations for the devices.

The United States Supreme Court this week rejected the tobacco industry’s appeal of a Florida court ruling. The decision could make it easier for ill smokers or their survivors to sue cigarette makers, Bloomberg reports.